A Year in the Life of a Helsinki Street

The beginning of a new year is traditionally the time for introspection and looking back on the year that was. And also more more than often it is about making a list of the best “long play records” that was released that year. But that’s not how we roll. Instead we asked a street how it felt about last year.

January 2012“Look, I’m a simple street okay? Nothing special, just your ordinary, quiet side street. That said I do like when someone brings a skip along. We get some action around here with all the rummaging and whatnot. Did you know someone spilt old paint all over their winter jacket trying to salvage some shit from it? Ha ha. That was funny.”

February 2012”Yeah, January was a riot with the skip, but then in February someone brought three more along, and that sort of took the edge away from it. February has never been my favourite month anyway. Dicks.”

March 2012“Oh yeah, forgot to tell you they totally put up signs against parking last month, so that was a bit special. Hasn’t actually happened since 1963. That’s coincidentally also the year a horse took a shit on me. Hasn’t happened since. No, really.”

April 2012“Okay, wow, wanna take it easy on the heavy machinery already? I miss the snow. I know, I’m such a nostalgic. But it does cover up the potholes and my wrinky, crackly surface. Seriously, I never look my best at springtime.”

May”OH MY GOD! WHAT ARE THEY DOING? PLEASE LOOK AWAY, I DON’T WANT YOU TO SEE ME LIKE THIS!”

June 2012“You see what I have to go through? Would you like it if you had open heart surgery and people stopped to gawk at you? Exactly. Streets have feelings too, you know.”

July 2012”I totally did that to those bikes. Ha ha. Don’t ask me how”.

August 2012”You know when I feel most alive? Getting a new coating of tarmac on one of those hot August afternoons. Oh mama. Lay it on, brothers. Thick, black and sticky, just the way I like it.”

September 2012”You see that little river right there? That came from a single horse. At least it wasn’t solids. Did I tell you that hasn’t happened since 1963?”

October 2012“So yeah, it’s all quiet for now, but as you can see being a street is not as boring as you might think. And I for one can put up a fight. You know what they call me because of that? Street fighter! Hahahaha!”

November 2012”Did you know us streets also have our own language – we call it street lingo. Hahaha! Nah man, I’m messing with you. But it is a very hip language, I’m telling you.”

December 2012”Snow, FINALLY! Covers up my rough patches. Such a relief. But yeah, there you have it, a typical year in my life. It ain’t easy sometimes, but it’s a living. Or as we say out in the street: street life – it’s the only life I know. Hahahaha!”

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